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June 8, 2015

Filthy Music Review - 'The Negation: Memento Mori'

The
Negation - Memento Mori (2015)

Kaotoxin Records

Review by Trevor Proctor

French
label, Kaotoxin Records is set to bring us the second full length album from black
metal nihilists The Negation on the 6th of July. The Negation’s
debut album, Paths of Obedience, was self-released in 2013 and garnered the
band a lot of positive reviews and media attention. For a debut release it took
many by surprise due to its devastatingly heavy and powerful production which
lends itself well to the band’s dark, cold and nihilistic take on Black Metal.
It wasn’t long before the band was signed by pioneering French underground
label, Kaotoxin Records, for a subsequent album which they will be releasing in
a limited quantity of special edition cd digipaks that won’t be repressed on
sell-out.

The
band’s association with established names is quite significant – the artwork
was provided by Metastazis who has previously designed artwork for the likes of
Morbid Angel, Behemoth and Watain and they’ve toured with Marduk and Belphegor.
Also, Memento Mori was produced at The Hybreed Studio which has previously been
used to record works from the likes of Temple of Baal, Glorior Belli and
Azziard. Whilst at first this album might sound like Orthodox Black Metal
Memento Mori is a concept album dealing with today’s world and where it’s
headed – towards its destruction and demise. “Mankind and its utter nihilism is
the only inspiration and the only reason why The Negation is darker than many and
more hopelessly brutal than most.”

Track
one is a short space age intro and that’s pretty much the most calm you’ll hear
for the duration of the album as a few seconds later The Negation propel us
into their nihilistic maelstrom. The first thing you’ll notice are the high
production values which are crisp and clear yet never too polished; these
production values are essential in conveying both The Negation’s precise,
skilled musicianship and also lend themselves well to the total destruction the
band are bringing us – I’m sure you want the world’s demise to be as audible as
possible.

The vocal performance from A.S.A. cuts both across and through the
music, sounding like some sort of demented and demonic force commanding the
destruction of the very Earth. At times The Negation’s music lends it’s sound as
much to Death Metal as it does to Black Metal, “A Prayer for Those I Will Have
to Kill” (track five) being a prime example of this as there’s riffs galore
that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Death Metal track. This is no bad thing
as there’s plenty of variety within The Negation’s sound. It’s track six, Faith
in God’s Corpse, before there’s any sort of let-up in pace but even that’s
short-lived as The Negation plough through track after nihilistic track with
Black Metal brutality constantly to the fore-front.

No songs about witches,
forests or demons – just total misanthropy reigns supreme. If you’re after
brutally extreme Black Metal then Memento Mori easily delivers but delve a
little deeper into the concept and lyrics to experience the world’s end in all
its brutal glory.

The
Negation are set to appear at the 2nd Kaotoxin festival which is due
to take place in Lille during December 2015 along with a plethora of other
extreme acts – Kaotoxin is known for its extremity within music and with The
Negation they have turned the extremity dial up a notch or two. Extreme,
intricate and destructive Black Metal - these could be the backing tracks to
accompany the world’s demise – total aural destruction. Excellent.